The times change, and so do economies. According to the professional services firm EY, approximately 7,000 jobs within the U.K. financial services sector are moving to Europe because Britain has left the E.U. However, in the “real economy,” the British Office for Budget Responsibility says trade volumes are 15 per cent lower than they would be the case were Brexit never occurred.

In addition, as per data from Dealroom. Co, the U.K. startup ecosystem is worth $1 trillion as investment cash is poured into the innovation and tech economy.

Therefore, it’s probably not unexpected that MBA students–some at the very least — are shifting their career plans away from their usual career goals in the upper areas of finance and industry and instead focusing on the entrepreneurial economy.

This trend has been noticed and acknowledged and acknowledged by London Business School. In recognizing the growing interest in entrepreneurship, LBS has been actively encouraging business partnerships and collaborations between founders and researchers on the one hand and MBA students on the other.

The goal, according to LBS Associate Professor of Management Practice, Luisa Alemany, isn’t just to allow MBA pupils to choose career opportunities in the fields of technology and innovation but also to help the entrepreneurial ecosystem. “The concept was that LBS would be an incubator for entrepreneurs. Much like Stanford,” she says.

As Alemany is quick to clarify that the allusion towards Stanford is more of the aspiration of actively supporting the tech industry rather than any straight comparison. “We are an MBA school and not a college,” she says.

Building Bridges

In real life, that means the research driving the technology ecosystem is happening elsewhere, usually at universities with strong research departments. “So among the activities, I’ve been doing is building connections with institutions like University College London, Imperial College, Oxford and Cambridge,” says Alemany. “We’ve established connections with those who are using the technology.”

Regardless of how revolutionary their inventions turn out to be, it is logical that researchers might not possess vast amounts of business expertise or knowledge. To complete the circularity, London Business School is offering its students to collaborate with researchers and help researchers to find areas of investment and potential sources.

The school is also engaging with the tech community to find founders who do not have a strong experience in the business. In addition, they’re given a chance to collaborate with MBA students as part of an initiative called”The Entrepreneurship Lab. Alemany views this as an opportunity to assist the tech community to grow into a more professional.

A Route To Entrepreneurship

It also offers a path to entrepreneurial opportunities for MBA students. The relationships students develop with researchers, and founders can be considered an aspect of their education in business, but there is a chance to go on into entrepreneurship. “Students could be part of the founder team,” says Alemany.

Fourteen companies were born through the Entrepreneurship Lab, including Umwuga, an online social network designed for tradespeople and service industry workers and those who employ them; a program for emotional well-being, Paradym and WeWalk, which is a smart cane for people who are visually impaired.

It’s not difficult to see the benefits of these courses to MBA students: the opportunity to be involved in real-world projects and possibly even be founders or team members. But what is the alternative? What do founders or potential founders have to gain?

Alemany admits that many entrepreneurs have clear thoughts about how they would like to run their companies. However, she says that they may also be lacking in their understanding.

“Some might think they know everything, but they’ll encounter difficulties in areas like financing entrepreneur’s ventures and forecasting cashflow and expenditure. There is a myriad of HR-related issues as they scale to the next level,” she says. These are areas in which MBA students’ technical abilities can greatly impact.

Furthermore, the startups participating in the program are allowed to pitch their idea to investors from various. They include Seedcamp Carlos Eduardo Espinal of Seedcamp and the founder of Notion’s Itxaso Del Palacio, LocalGlobe co-founder Saul Klein and Oxford Computer Science professor Blanca Rodriguez.

Anyone interested in cooperating with LBS students is encouraged to contact us. However, much filtering goes to. The first cohort of students was invited to review 70 applicants. The number was then reduced to 14 applicants.

In their way, many MBA students take advantage of the course but decide to work in consultancy or corporate finance following their studies. But Alemany says that the learning will not be worth the effort. Whether you’re participating in “intrapreneurship,” innovation outreach programs, or just driving the organizational change, The entrepreneurial mindset is highly sought-after.

Two contradictory realities are highlighted in the 2024 college admissions cycle. Top-tier universities had the lowest admissions rates and more socioeconomically diverse applicants. However, equal opportunity does not necessarily mean greater economic inclusion at the top institutions. The number of Americans with low incomes enrolled in college has decreased since 2014. In contrast to previous generations, young Americans are more interested in earning a paycheck than long-term careers. The future will be more global and technologically oriented, with more opportunities and wealth for the educated elite than the lower-skilled workforce.

The “golden age” of American higher education, between 1960-1970, when tuitions remained constant and investment in college campuses skyrocketed, saw an increase in college enrollments. This may have been due to changing demographics (the Baby Boomer Generation began enrolling at universities in the mid-1970s), greater financial access to college via federal grants, or cultural shifts in perceptions of higher education. No matter the reason, between 1965 and 2014, US universities saw an increase in student enrollment from 5.92million to 20.2million students. The peak was 21.01 million in 2011. However, registrations began to fall after 2014, only accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the United States, 24 states have experienced an average drop of 4 percent in university admissions since 2019. Five states, including Alaska, Michigan, and New Mexico, have seen enrollment declines more significant than 10%. The pandemic created doubts in the minds of young adults, who were already hesitant about going to college due to economic uncertainty and job hardships. Recent high school graduates began to doubt the value of higher education. They opted instead for low-paying jobs right after high school.

However, the perception that immediate employment will lead to economic prosperity after high school is a mistake. The reality is that college graduates have significantly higher lifetime earnings than those who don’t have a college degree. Georgetown University found that the median lifetime earnings of college graduates are directly linked to their educational attainment. This means that Americans with a high school diploma average $1.6 million in lifetime earnings. A worker with a bachelor’s degree makes an average of 2.8million dollars. This is 75 percent more than those who only have a high school diploma. Individuals with a master’s degree earn more over their lifetime earnings, totaling $3.2 million. These significant wage differences create huge wealth disparities in America over the long term.

Due to the current economic inequality in America, the drop in enrollments doesn’t affect all economical classes equally. Before the pandemic, students of higher income were more likely than others to enroll at four-year colleges. This trend is evident according to an analysis by the University of Pennsylvania. The median income for a family that sent their children to college in 2024 was $58,500. This is 89 percent more than the median income for a family that didn’t send their children to college. Students who go to two-year colleges have a 39% lower median income than those who attend four-year universities. As the gap in wealth between college-bound students and non-college students grows, the effect of declining enrollment will be more powerful.

As elite colleges in America become more selective, this growing gap will only worsen. The number of top-ranked institutions has increased dramatically since removing the standardized testing requirement. However, acceptance rates have declined. In 2024, acceptance rates at the top ten most challenging universities in America were below 8%. Despite falling admission rates, top-tier universities continue to boast diverse student populations and financial aid programs. Although it is true that colleges now accept a more comprehensive range of students, this shouldn’t be confused with higher equity in college admissions. The United States will see a decrease in human capital due to lower enrollment and increased competition.

The American workforce will be affected by the decline in enrollment. The acceptance rates of top-tier colleges will drop, but most Americans who have not completed college will grow. We might not be in a “golden age” for higher education. Instead, we may be in a new “gilded era,” where elites will continue to thrive in close-knit, highly-educated circles. At the same time, the bottom quintiles experience a stagnating quality of life.

What does it take to be a successful learner and graduate in today’s world? In years past, mastery of core academic subjects and solid acquisition of the “three Rs” (reading, writing, and arithmetic) was enough to prove one’s ability. But today, it is an entirely different world.

Students must think critically and communicate effectively to participate in today’s complex societies and globalized economy. They also need to have a global outlook and use information and communication technologies to solve complex problems.

Communication and work are changing fast. This is why educators must equip learners with 21st-century skills to succeed in today’s digital, globalized society.

In South Africa, many young people are disengaged. They don’t finish school. They don’t see the point of school. They don’t see the end of school. They feel frustrated and disillusioned with a lack of direction or an inability to focus, leading to depression. This is why 74% youth unemployment rates are not helpful.

E3, South Africa’s flagship program of the Department of Basic Education, aims to empower educators to help students become active problem-seekers in the world beyond school. Our world is project-based. It’s fantastic, don’t you think? You are working on a project, whether you’re creating the ideal work-from-home environment or planning a virtual field trip. Many of us work on projects, allowing us to organize our tasks, collaborate with others, and solve problems. E3 is about authentic learning in the classroom. It aims to give education real-life applications that have real meaning for learners.

Project-based learning is designed to encourage learners to think interdependently and communicate clearly. It also helps them manage impulsivity and take responsible actions. They can apply their past knowledge to new situations and explore real-world problems. The goal is to create better work habits and improve attitudes toward learning, leading to long-term retention. Project-based learning unlocks 21st-century competencies and solve-seeking mindsets, so youth can become more employable, involved, and entrepreneurial.

Project-based learning is becoming more popular in education because it is how we function in real life, in our professional and personal lives. This teaching method helps students develop real-world skills such as communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, and project management while also tackling complex academic content.